2008 Woodie Awards
Acting pulls viewers into 'Golden Compass'
By: Caitlin Foyt
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Without having previous knowledge of Philip Pullman's novels, "The Golden Compass" will take some time to get into.
There's a substantial amount of garbled jargon briefly explained at the film's beginning, but nonetheless, it still is pretty confusing.
Words like "Gobblers," "Gyptians" and "dust" are tossed quite a bit, and mixed with a crowded imaginary universe. It takes some getting used to.
Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) an orphan living at Jordan College in the Oxford of a parallel world (one of many), is given an alethiometer: a compass that tells her the truth.
When her best friend and several other children go missing, she embarks on a quest to find them. She soon discovers the world's authority, the Magisterium, is responsible for the kidnappings.
Everyone in the universe has a daemon, a talking animal who represents who each character is, as a living, breathing soul. The Magisterium seeks souls and the compass.
Along the way, Lyra befriends armored polar bears, called "ice bears," and witches who help her on her journey.
The storyline moves along rather slowly, but the acting and bold special effects keep the audience interested.
The most memorable performance is Nichole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, who is the leader of the Magisterium. She fools the audience as well as she fools the other characters on screen. She is beautiful and sharp, but it soon becomes blatantly clear she is the real villain. She's complex, unpredictable and downright evil.
Richards, a 13-year old newcomer, does a job well done as heroine Lyra, by remaining consistent and convincing in her role throughout the entire film.
Most of the special effects are impressive. All of the animals in the film are more realistic looking than those in "The Chronicles of Narnia." Some scenes are breathtaking, such as an amazing battle between two armored bears.
But the ideas and visuals are similar to movies like "Lord of the Rings" and "Narnia," which sometimes make you wonder if you've seen this movie at least once before.
Many of the religious references found in the novels are not included in the film, but there is some symbolism in the mix if you walk into the theater looking for it.
Three out of five stars.
lifeline@cm-life.com
There's a substantial amount of garbled jargon briefly explained at the film's beginning, but nonetheless, it still is pretty confusing.
Words like "Gobblers," "Gyptians" and "dust" are tossed quite a bit, and mixed with a crowded imaginary universe. It takes some getting used to.
Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) an orphan living at Jordan College in the Oxford of a parallel world (one of many), is given an alethiometer: a compass that tells her the truth.
When her best friend and several other children go missing, she embarks on a quest to find them. She soon discovers the world's authority, the Magisterium, is responsible for the kidnappings.
Everyone in the universe has a daemon, a talking animal who represents who each character is, as a living, breathing soul. The Magisterium seeks souls and the compass.
Along the way, Lyra befriends armored polar bears, called "ice bears," and witches who help her on her journey.
The storyline moves along rather slowly, but the acting and bold special effects keep the audience interested.
The most memorable performance is Nichole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, who is the leader of the Magisterium. She fools the audience as well as she fools the other characters on screen. She is beautiful and sharp, but it soon becomes blatantly clear she is the real villain. She's complex, unpredictable and downright evil.
Richards, a 13-year old newcomer, does a job well done as heroine Lyra, by remaining consistent and convincing in her role throughout the entire film.
Most of the special effects are impressive. All of the animals in the film are more realistic looking than those in "The Chronicles of Narnia." Some scenes are breathtaking, such as an amazing battle between two armored bears.
But the ideas and visuals are similar to movies like "Lord of the Rings" and "Narnia," which sometimes make you wonder if you've seen this movie at least once before.
Many of the religious references found in the novels are not included in the film, but there is some symbolism in the mix if you walk into the theater looking for it.
Three out of five stars.
lifeline@cm-life.com
